Corrections to birth and death registrations
Following changes to registration regulations by the Registrar General, there are now statutory fees payable for corrections to birth and death registrations. The fee is between £75 and £90 for any correction depending on the nature of the amendment.
The fee is for consideration of the correction, is payable at the time the correction is requested and will not be refunded if the amendment is not approved.
The fee does not include the cost for a certificate after the correction has been completed.
What corrections can be made
Corrections to a registration can only be made when the information is wrong (eg a mistake was made when recording a parent’s occupation in a birth registration).
You are not able to apply for a correction to show new information if circumstances change after you have registered your child’s birth (eg you change your name after getting married again).
However, you can apply to re-register the birth if the natural parents of a child get married at a later date.
Apply for a correction
You can apply for a correction to the register office where the birth or death was registered.
What the correction looks like
If your application is approved, a correction is made in the relevant register in the office for the area where your child was born, or the death occurred. The original information will always be shown in the register.
After the correction has been authorised, an official note will be added to the margin of the register.
This will explain what the correct information is and when the correction was made. All full certificates issued after the correction has been made will include this note in the margin.
A short birth certificate, which only includes the child’s details, will not have a note in the margin. It will include new details. A short birth certificate is not usually accepted for official purposes, eg applying for a passport.
Further information
For further information on what errors can be corrected and what evidence is needed, visit the following information pages on GOV.UK:
A charge of up to £99 will be payable to update or change information, depending on the error. The fee does not include the cost for a certificate after the correction has been completed.
In some cases, it will not be possible to change the information recorded.
How to request a correction
If the birth, death or marriage occurred in Cheshire East, please contact us. If the event occurred elsewhere, you should contact the appropriate registration service.
Please note, if you need to make a change to a birth certificate due to the marriage or civil partnership of the natural parents, or to record the father's name you can apply to re-register the birth.
Contact the Register Office
Page last reviewed: 16 March 2022
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